Last Updated on June 30, 2015 by Tim
Katana is a Bluetooth enabled flash drive with cloud-managed encryption and remote wipe capability that can upload your files directly to the cloud through your mobile device.
Organizations are currently banning flash drives to prevent the loss of sensitive data in favor of cloud storage options such as DropBox. Flash drives, however, are several hundred times faster than cloud storage, more convenient, universally compatible, and don’t require network connectivity.
The Katana Solution
The cloud is big. Traditional portable storage mediums like flash drives are continually being replaced for the more secure data storage the cloud provides. But the cloud suffers from several drawbacks – it’s slow. It requires an internet connection. And it doesn’t always work with every device. Katana set out to create a perfect solution that combines the advantages of the cloud with the speed and convenience of flash storage.
Katana is a smart flash drive that pairs to your mobile device. The mobile device provides two key functions – advanced remove controls for encryption and the ability to connect directly to cloud storage. When you need a fast, secure or large storage medium just save your file in Katana’s memory where the 256 bit AES encryption will protect it. And if you want to send the file to the cloud drop it in the right folder and it’ll be uploaded to your favorite cloud service even after you disconnect the drive.
Furthermore, because Katana needs to be paired to a mobile device any MDM solution implemented for an organization’s mobile devices (Airwatch, CA, EMS, etc) automatically extends to Katana. If the paired mobile device is remotely wiped then data on the Katana will be inaccessible to anyone else in possession of it.
Katana’s cloud based MDM software also provides organizations with the following features:
- Device and remote wipe management
- WiFi and Geofencing for automatic device unlocking
- Device usage logging, including file transfers
- Integration into an organization’s existing cloud storage
Katana is currently in prototype stage. They have several hardware prototypes and an alpha version of their MDM software. Katana is currently refining their specifications for a commercial device design and a beta version.
Website: katanausb.com
